Sighting device for golf clubs



Feb. 11, 1958 V. 'T; SUSINNO SIGHTfNG DEVICE FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed Ma 19. 1954 United States Patent SIGHTING DEVICE FOR GOLF CLUBS Vincent T. Susinno, Leonia, N. J.

Application May 19, 1954, Serial No. 430,797

6 Claims. (CI. 33-46) This invention relates to golfing equipment and more specifically to an optical device for use with a golf club such as a putter to serve as an aid in directing a ball toward the cup on a green and at the same time providing information relative to the general slope of the green so that the path of the ball can be altered accordingly.

One of the more difiicult phases of the game of golf is art of putting and the inexperienced golfer often requires more strokes on the putting green to place the ball in the cup than he requires to get from the tee to the green. While the problems of driving both from the tee as well as on the fairway requires exacting procedures, many golfers find it considerably more difiicult to attain the precision required for putting. In addition, many greens have compound slopes and often a slight miscalculation will cause the ball to veer from the cup in one direction or the other. Accordingly it is one object of the invention to provide means that will enable a person to accurately direct the ball toward the cup and at the same time provide information relative to the general slope of the green so that he may adequately compensate therefor. To this end an adjustable sighting device is provided for attachment to the putter at a point on the club immediately over the normal point of impact and in alignment with the face of the putting head. This enables the golfer to observe the pin or flag marking the cup and thereby assist him in gauging the direction of the putt. In addition means are included for indicating the slope of the green relative to the pin or flag so that the direction of the shot or stroke can be modified to compensate therefor.

Another object of the invention is a new and improved sighting device for a putter that may be removably attached thereto and that is adjustable to meet the requirements of each individual. Since the invention fundamentally acts as a training aid to detect errors due to faulty habits and the like, it includes means for readily moving it out of the operating position so that the golfer may check his progress from time to time.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings forming part of this application.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a putter fitted with a sighting device in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the putter and sighting device shown in Fig. l positioned on a level green;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2 illustrating the position of the flag staif in the observed image;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the invention positioned on a sloping green;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 4 illustrating the altered position of the flag staif in the image caused by the slope of the green;

'ice

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the sighting device taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of a modified embodiment of the invention.

Briefly the invention comprises means that may be adjustably fixed to a golf club and in alignment with the head for producing an image in a substantially horizontal plane and of a size easily observable by a person when standing in a normal putting position. In Fig. 1 the device in accordance with the invention and generally denoted by the numeral 10 is shown in position on the shaft 12 of a putter and in alignment with the head part 14. In utilizing this sight on a green generally denoted by the numeral 15, the head of the club is positioned immediately behind the ball and adjusted until an image of the flag stafi 17 extending vertically from the hole or cup 16 is observed. Alignment of the club is accomplished by bringing this image of the pin 17 in line with a suitable cross hair on the device whereupon the ball, when hit, will move directly toward the pin or staff 17.

The sighting device 10 actually includes two essential elements, namely, the optical system 18 and the support assembly 20. The support 20 includes a short bracket member 21 having a curved end part 22 which in effect forms a clamp for engaging the shaft 12 of the club. The leg 23 of the bracket member 21 is provided with an opening 24 for insertion of the clamping screw 25, the latter threadably engaging a suitable opening in the opposing leg 26 of the bracket 21. Within the bracket 21 and surrounding the shaft 12 is a layer 27 of resilient material such as rubber, plastic or the like to protect the shaft and enable the bracket 21 to be secured to the shaft with only slight pressure applied by tightening the screw 25 to bring the legs 23 and 26 of the bracket 21 into approximate meeting engagement.

The leg 23 of the bracket 21 extends outwardly a short distance beyond the screw 25 and includes an opening 28 for receipt of an adjusting screw 29. This adjusting screw 29 also engages a slotted opening 30 in the bracket part 31 so that the latter may be adjusted inwardly and outwardly of the shaft 12. In order to insure positive positioning of the bracket member 31 relative to the bracket 21, the meeting surfaces of the bracket 31 and the leg 23 are preferably knurled so that the two members will maintain their adjusted position at all times.

On the outer end of the adjustable bracket 31 is the optical device 18 which comprises a housing 32 suitably attached to and supported by the bracket member 31. The forward side of the housing 32 has an opening 33 in which is mounted a suitable lens 34. The top side of the housing has a somewhat larger opening 35 containing an objective lens 36 through which the object or in this instance pin 17 may be observed. In order to transfer the image from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane so that it may be readily observed by a person in the normal putting position, a mirror 37 is disposed within the housing 31 and at an angle of approximately degrees so that light entering the lens 34 will be reflected upwardly through the lens 36 as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. Thus, as may be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the operator may observe an image 17 of the pin 17 in the objective lens 36. When the optical system 18 is aligned with the head 14 of the putter and approximately over the normal point of impact with the ball, alignment of the image 17' with the indicating marks or cross hairs 39 indicates that the club is properly aligned with the ball so that with a proper putt it will be driven directly toward the cup or hole 16 out of which the pin 17 extends. The indicating marks 39 may be placed at any desired position in the optical system though they preferably comprise elements cemented to the underside of the lens 36 or engraved marks on either surface of the lens. In other types of optical systems such as that shown in Fig. 7, for instance, these marks would preferably be engraved on one of the surfaces of the prism 41. V g

It has been found that thissighting device functions very satisfactorily as a training aid and will' enable a golfer to materially improve his putting. However, in order to enable the user to move the optical device out of the normal operating position so that he may test his improvement from time to time, the nut 29' on the screw 29 can be loosened and the entire optical system swiveled about the screw 29 to the position shown in the dotted outline in Fig. 2.

The illustration of the alignment of the club head 14 with the pin 17 in Figs. 2 and 3 applies to a condition when a level green is encountered. More often the greens are not very level and frequently have a compound slope of one form or another. In such a case, the ball cannot be aimed directly toward the hole 16, but some compensation must be made because of the deviation of the balls path by reason of the sloping green. In many cases it is quite difficult to estimate the nature and degree of this slope because the eye is a better indicator of relativity than an absolute measurement. With this invention the general nature of the slope of the green may be determined by merely observing the relation of the pin 17 as viewed in the objective lens 36 relative to the indicating marks or cross hairs 39. This situation is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. For emphasis the green in Fig. 4 has been shown to have a rather substantial slope and the head 14 of the club is shown resting fiat against the surface of the green. Under these conditions exact alignment of the club with the pin 17 will show the image 17 of the pin inclined relative to the indicators 39 as may be observed in Fig. 5. In this way the golfer immediately has an indication of the fact that the green is sloping downwardly toward him and that he must modify the direction of the putt in order to compensate for the roll of the ball that will be imparted thereto by reason of the sloping green. With a little practice a person may quickly and easily judge the amount of deviation of the stroke required to compensate for various degrees of slope. With the use of this device therefore the golfer will soon learn to detect even slight slopes in a green and at the same time will be able to improve his putting so that he cannot only direct a ball in a line with the cup 16 on a level green but can readily compensate for deviations in the green and thereby materially improve his score.

The form of the invention illustrated for instance in Fig. 6 provides for a reasonably wide angle of observation and may also include a surrounding light shade 40 to reduce inflections and enable the image to be observed more readily. If desired, the sighting device 18 may employ in place of the lenses 34 and 36 and the inclined mirror 37, a prism 41 of glass, plastic or the like to modify the direction of the light in the same manner as the mirror 37 was used in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6. A device embodying a prism is shown in Fig. 7 and produces a somewhat larger image than the device of Fig. 6. While it will be observed that the lenses 34 and 36 have been omitted from the embodiment of the invention utilizing prism 41 it is apparent however that 4 lenses can be used in conjunction with the prism to increase the angle of vision and effect some magnification of the image. Similarly, if desired, the lenses 34 and 36 of Fig. 6 could be replaced with plain glass windows and thus attain increased magnification in that embodiment of the invention.

While only two embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it is apparent that changes, modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the true scope and spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A sighting device for attachment to the shaft of a golf club comprising clamping means adapted to surround and be secured to said shaft, a bracket member adjustably secured to said clamping means and movable from One position extending outwardly from said shaft to another position alongside of said shaft and optical means on said bracket member for producing a horizontal image of objects in front of said club when said bracket member is in said one position.

2. A sighting device according to claim 1 wherein said bracket member includes means for moving said optical means inwardly and outwardly of said shaft.

3. A sighting device according to claim 1 wherein said optical means includes a vertically disposed lens, a horizontally disposed lens and reflecting means for directing light entering one of the lenses outwardly through the other of the lenses.

4. A sighting device according to claim 1 wherein said optical means includes a prism.

5. A sighting device for a golf club having a head part and a shaft attached to and extending upwardly from said head part comprising a clamp, means including a resilient collar removably securing said clamp to said shaft in' the vicinity of the point of attachment of the shaft to the head, an elongated bracket member pivotally secured to said clamp and movable from one position extending outwardly from said shaft and generally parallel to said head to another position alongside of said shaft, and optical sighting means carried by said bracket member for producing an image of objects disposed forwardly of said club in a substantially horizontal "plane when said bracket member is in said one position.

6. A sighting device according to claim 5 wherein means are included for adjustably positioning said optical sighting means longitudinally of said head part for alignment with the normal 'pointof contact between the head part and a ball being driven thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 294,171 -Watt-s -1--- Feb. 26, 1884 1,386,611 Ely Aug. 9, 1921 1,470,890 Stone Oct. 16, 1923 1,556,062 Baugh Oct. 6, 1925 1,806,252 Hohein May 19, 1931 2,406,798 Burroughs Sept. 3, 1946 2,463,291 Mazziotti Mar. 1, 1949 2,670,209 Fay Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,834 Great Britain 1906 223,044 Great Britain Oct. 16, 1924 

